World’s largest rodent born at Chester Zoo

A baby capybara, which has not yet been sexed, was born at the zoo on 19
October and at just over two-weeks-old, the tiny youngster can already walk and
swim on its own.

Capybaras are semi-aquatic mammals and originate from South America. They can
grow up to almost 1.5m in length and weigh up to 60kg.

Dr Nick Davis, assistant
curator of mammals at the zoo, said:

“Our new arrival is tiny and can barely be seen above the grass when it follows
mum on adventures across the paddock. It only weighs a few hundred grams at the
moment but, in time, it’ll grow into a really chunky rodent.

“While the capybara is not currently classified as an endangered species, it is
hunted and poached for its meat and skin, which can be turned into leather. So
it’s important that our new arrival helps us raise the profile of this often
overlooked species.”

The scientific name for the capybara means ‘water hog’ and their bodies have
been specially adapted for swimming - with webbed feet and their eyes, ears and
nostrils located on top of their heads. They are able to stay submerged in
water for around five minutes to help avoid detection by predators such as
jaguars, anacondas and caiman in their native South America.

Capybara facts:

Capybaras are the largest of the world’s rodent
species

They are found over much of South America

They are highly adapted to an aquatic lifestyle
and even mate in water

Like rabbits, they eat their own dung to extract
maximum nutrition from their food